Researcher(s) |
Nicole Dimos (SPAA) Felicity Turner (Vision Ag) |
---|---|
Year(s) | 2010 |
Contributor | Society of Precision Agriculture Australia |
Trial location(s) |
Coonalpyn , SA
|
To compare the effects and to demonstrate the economic benefits that may result from the use of variable rate fertiliser applications by broad acre farmer trial.
The objective of this GRDC / SPAA funded project is to increase the level of adoption of PA 'beyond guidance' by broadacre farmers. The project specifically aims to increase the level of adoption of variable rate (VR) by growers in the project to 30% by 2013.This goal will be achieved by demonstrating how to use PA tools to growers at a regional level and by increasing the skills of growers and industry in PA to a level where they can then use PA tools in their farming systems to achieve economic, environmental and social benefits. Fertiliser rates were selected after discussing with farmer that the lower yielding zones would never produce yields comparable to medium and high yielding zones, due to the low fertility and poor water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil. The farmer believed that that fertiliser was being wasted on the sand zones of his farm, and wanted to see if cutting fertiliser rates would be detrimental to yield in this zone.
Lead research organisation |
Society of Precision Agriculture Australia |
---|---|
Host research organisation | N/A |
Trial funding source | GRDC SPA000010 |
Related program | N/A |
Acknowledgments |
This project was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) |
Other trial partners | Not specified |
Crop type | Cereal (Grain): Wheat |
---|---|
Treatment type(s) |
|
Trial type | Precision agriculture |
Trial design | Not applicable |
Sow rate or Target density | 110kg/ha |
---|---|
Sowing machinery |
70 ha plots |
Sow date | 23 May 2010 23 May 2010 |
Harvest date | 10 January 2010 |
Plot size | Not specified |
Plot replication | Not specified |
Fertiliser |
DAP |
Other trial notes |
The results indicate that the land owner may see economic benefit (as per Gross Margin) from the uptake of variable rate technology in paddocks with varying soil types such as this trial paddock. |
# |
Treatment 1
|
Grain yield (t/ha) | Grain zinc (mg/kg) | Grain copper (mg/kg) | Grain manganese (mg/kg) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | █ Zone 1 (Low) - Rate 1 @ 40kg/ha DAP | 0.481 | 23.63 | 2.87 | 21.07 |
2 | █ Zone 1 (Low) Rate 2 @ 60kg/ha DAP | 0.371 | 28.51 | 2.38 | 30.63 |
3 | █ Zone 1 (Low) - Rate 3 @ 80kg/ha DAP | 0.341 | 28.88 | 2.03 | 29.26 |
4 | █ Zone 2 (Med) - Rate 1 @ 40kg/ha DAP | 2.371 | 19.31 | 2.18 | 8.73 |
5 | █ Zone 2 (Med) - Rate 2 @ 60kg/ha DAP | 2.714 | 19.97 | 2.97 | 6.85 |
6 | █ Zone 2 (Med) - Rate3 @ 80kg/ha DAP | 2.693 | 22.18 | 3.03 | 8.23 |
7 | █ Zone 3 (High) - Rate 1 @ 40kg/ha DAP | 3.269 | 19.51 | 1.72 | 18.19 |
8 | █ Zone 3 (Med) - Rate 2 @ 60kg/ha DAP | 3.102 | 16.92 | 1.83 | 12.26 |
9 | █ Zone 3 (High) - Rate 3 @ 80kg/ha DAP | 3.416 | 18.08 | 1.45 | 17.88 |
SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.